This article covers Omaha Landmarks designated by the City of Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission. In addition, it includes structures or buildings listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and those few designated as

National Historic Landmarks A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

, indicating their varying level of importance to the city, state and nation. The following list includes individual properties, as well as

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

s and

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

s in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

. Residential, commercial, religious, educational, agricultural and socially significant locations are included.

Landmark preservation in Omaha

Omaha has sought to preserve its

historic landmark A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

s for more than 50 years. The first city report on historical sites written in 1959, and the first buildings in the city were listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings in the 1960s. The demolition of the Old Post Office in 1966, along with the Old City Hall the next year, were rallying points for preservationists in the city. Omaha developed a comprehensive plan for landmark preservation in 1980. Some years, the demands of changing business in

Downtown Omaha Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and ...

have overridden the desires of preservationists to maintain historic structures. In 1989, all 24 buildings of the area's " Jobbers Canyon" were demolished, representing the highest number of buildings lost at one time that were listed on the

to date. The Christian Specht Building is the only extant building with a

cast-iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

facade known in Nebraska today, and one of the few built in the state. The Burlington Train Station, also a downtown historic landmark, sat empty for more than thirty years and was stripped of much of its historical grandeur. In 2006 a group of developers began renovating the building for mixed-use, which will include residential condos. Not all of the buildings lost are deemed significant; the

Omaha Auditorium Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, designed by noted and prolific local architect John Latenser, Sr., was almost universally panned for its gaudy and half-completed construction. In

North Omaha North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 (Iowa-Nebraska), Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River a ...

, the historic

Strehlow Terrace Strehlow Terrace, also called the Terrace Garden Apartment Complex and Ernie Chambers Court, is located at 2024 and 2107 North Sixteenth Street in the Near North Side neighborhood of North Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by Robert Strehlow and reputed ...

apartment An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ma ...

s have been renamed "Chambers Court" in honor of locally renowned Nebraska Legislator

Ernie Chambers Ernest William Chambers (born July 10, 1937) is an American politician and civil rights activist who represented North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature from 1971 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2021. He could not run in 2 ...

. Fort Omaha, an

Indian War Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asi ...

-era

supply depot Supply depots are a type of military installation used by militaries to store battlefield supplies temporarily on or near the front lines until they can be distributed to military units. Supply depots are responsible for nearly all other types of ...

for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, has been re-purposed as a local community college. In April 2001 the

Nebraska Methodist Health System The Nebraska Methodist Health System, also known as Bestcare, is a nonprofit Nebraskan healthcare organization that was founded in 1982. Its headquarters are located at 825 S. 169th Street in Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in ...

purchased the

Indian Hills Theater The Indian Hills Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, was a movie theater built in 1962 showcasing films in the Cinerama wide-screen format. Its location was at 8601 West Dodge Rd. The theater's screen was the largest of its type in the Unite ...

on West Dodge Road and. In June it announced plans to demolish the theater and replace it with a

parking lot A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

. Indian Hills was the last drum-shaped, three-projector

Cinerama Cinerama is a widescreen process that originally projected images simultaneously from three synchronized 35mm projectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. The trademarked process was marketed by the Cinerama corporati ...

theater in the United States. Despite grassroots formation of the Indian Hills Preservation Society, letters of support from

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...

Janet Leigh Jeanette Helen Morrison (July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004), known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. Her career spanned over five decades. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, ...

and

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...

, and the unanimous vote of the Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission finding that the theater should be declared a Landmark of the City of Omaha, in August 2001 the building was demolished.

City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission

The first comprehensive preservation ordinance in Nebraska was adopted by the

Omaha City Council The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska, is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2025. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district. Currently seven city council districts a ...

in 1977. The commission was created after the demolition of the Old Post Office, when the pro-preservation organization Landmarks, Inc. advocated its creation. As of 2007, more than 90 buildings and structures in Omaha have received federal historic preservation tax incentives, and have been listed by the City of Omaha as Certified Historic Rehabs."Certified Historic Rehabs in Omaha"
. City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission. Retrieved 8/30/07.

National recognition

Many

s, sites, buildings, structures, and objects in Omaha have been listed on the

. Three have been designated as

s by the

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural ...

for their historical significance. However, no Omaha Landmarks have been designated National Historic Landmarks, and many have not been listed on the National Historic Register.

Landmarks in Omaha

Former Landmarks

Being listed on the NRHP or as an Omaha Landmark does not permanently protect buildings against destruction. Several landmarks in Omaha have been demolished through a variety of fashions.

References

External links

Omaha Landmarks
City of Omaha website, including listings for every Omaha Landmark.
Landmarks, Inc.
website.
Omaha By Design
website.
Restore Omaha Conference, Exhibition & Tour
website.

of Omaha's landmarks. * . {{DEFAULTSORT:Omaha landmarks

Landmarks A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

Locally designated landmarks in the United States Lists of landmarks